


Submersion

by Ralkyre



Category: GreedFall (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Masturbation, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Minor Character Death, Mutual Pining, Oral Sex, Sexual Fantasy, Some angst, a bit of canon divergency never hurt anyone
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-22
Updated: 2019-10-24
Packaged: 2020-10-25 12:57:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,794
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20724578
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ralkyre/pseuds/Ralkyre
Summary: Naut ships never sink. They always find their way even in the roughest storm.De Sardet never expected a certain young captain to mess with her head (not to mention other parts of her) so intensely, when she boarded his ship. Vasco never dreamed of looking at her with anything but disdain. But the tides of Teer Fradee are unpredictable - as is what lies beneath.When the Sea-Horse is destroyed during an attack of the island's guardian, the legate and the captain are forced to rely on each other to survive, find their friends and reach New Serene - but nothing is ever simple.





	1. A thousand furlongs of sea for an acre of barren ground

“Easy there Constantin. Just...take a deep breath, it will pass soon.”

She placed one hand on his back, attempting to soothe her cousin, currently in a long and arduous process of emptying his stomach over the Sea-Horse’s railings, and with the other she was supporting his weight, in case he suddenly decided to collapse. His coat was flung over her shoulder, spared from the risk of unsightly tarnishes. 

“Ugh...you said the very same thing when we departed. Just look at the state I’m in!” Constantin exclaimed, despair in his voice, pausing only to shoot her a look of pure suffering. “I’d sooner fling myself into these waves and let sharks tear me apart, limb from limb, than suffer like this a day longer.”

Elise de Sardet, still getting used to the title of Legate of the Congregation of Merchants, suppressed the urge to roll her eyes at her cousin’s theatrics - even a sun setting could not be called the end of day, until something pushed Constantin to the depths of inhuman despair.  
Instead, she managed a smile, and wrapped his coat over his shoulders, gently leading him towards his quarters.

“It is only seasickness. The captain told you that it is quite frequent among people who never traveled by sea before.”

“Easy for a Naut to say. I also remember him saying, that some people will never stomach sailing, and suffer from nausea everytime they so much as set foot on a ship.” he groaned, but a flash of amusement glinted in his eyes. “Just imagine that. Newly appointed governor of New Serene welcoming the whole entourage waiting for him in the port by...”

“Alright, alright, I get the picture” Elise quickly interrupted him before he described his idea more colorfully. "Besides, I am sure the captain only said that to terrify you."

"What have I ever done to warrant such a treatment?" Constantin exclaimed in mock outrage "You were the one who called his ship a boat, not me."

Elise sighed "Please, do not remind me of that."

It has been two weeks since their departure from Serene’s port. Two weeks since she said farewell to her mother and entrusted the safety of their passage to the hands of the young Captain Vasco and his crew. 

The crossing was, aside from Constantin’s disagreeable stomach and Kurt’s slowly setting boredom, quite uneventful so far, and it became difficult to keep herself occupied. The books and documents she brought with her kept Elise’s attention only for a while, before she found herself pacing the deck, staring into the distance over the waves that lazily rolled along their way, listening to the creak of the hull, sails snapping in the wind, and constant sounds of sailors' work. It was easier in the evenings, when the three of them retreated inside, mugs of beer in hand, sometimes with the more social part of the crew, with Constantin losing a fortune in cards and Elise usually settling into a talk with Flavia, a young Naut woman whom she befriended even before they set sail, getting louder and rowdier with each emptied cup. 

Captain Vasco was almost always there as well, though he rarely went out of his way to talk to his three passenger. When he did however...

_Idleness erodes the mind easier than rust erodes iron._

Mr. De Courcillon always said that, and she was inclined to agree with him. It would explain many things that occupied her mind lately. Especially the one. 

Surely, it was only the captain’s disdain towards her, his immunity to her “disarming charm”, as Constantin called it (though really, most often it was simply her ability to listen and use the right words) that made her more and more determined to break through his shell.

Surely, it had nothing to do with his roguish smile and sharp features, accentuated by the tattoos that covered his face, nothing to do with his broad shoulders and commanding posture, and certainly nothing at all to do with they way he spoke to her, as if he was challenging her to act as a catered noble he was convinced she was, serving only to rile her up more. Elise had to admit to herself -she wanted to impress him, to make him seek her attention as much as she sought his, to -

_...grab him by the collar of his coat and run her lips across his neck, all the way to his collarbone, to slowly unbutton his shirt and see if the tattoos ended there or if they continued down over his chest, his abdomen, lower and lower and_

She caught herself just in time. No. There was nothing like that. Not at all.

“I know that look, cousin. You always contort your face like this when the captain is mentioned.”

Constantin’s words returned her back to the present and she realized her cheeks felt a lot warmer.

“Oh? I was under the impression that this is what my face usually looks like.”

“Well, now that you mention it, you do have a tendency to frown too often. If you’re not careful you’re going to have a deep line running across your forehead by the time you’re thirty” he retorted, a boyish grin on his face.

“Someone’s clearly feeling better” Elise smiled and opened the door leading inside. “I’m glad. I’ll find the cook and and smuggle some mint tea and biscuits to your room. You probably won't be able to eat anything else for some time anyway.”

“Blergh. As soon as we land on Tír Fradí I am hosting a banquet. After single-handedly solving every problem on the island, of course. Nevertheless, I still do not understand however did you persuade that sour man to just let you strut in as you please and rummage in his precious provisions.” Constantin scoffed. “He wouldn’t even let me refill my cup without breathing down my neck the whole time."

”I have a way with words” Elise smirked, and then lowered her voice and added "and a bottle of d'Argent Grande brandy he was only too happy to accept."

Immersed in their conversation, the two didn't notice Vasco standing only a few feet apart, his face towards the horizon, amusement written in his face.


	2. Gentle breath of yours my sails must fill

It was only a few days until they would reach the port of New Serene and the crew gathered for a celebratory evening. The last reserves of ale were poured, a few bottles of hard liquor smelling strongly of unidentifiable fruit were being passed around. 

Vasco has just walked in the crew quarters, where almost everyone gathered, loud laughter, knee slapping, boastful stories and tipsy giggling sounding from every corner. He saw De Sardet's master of arms discuss fencing techniques with Lauro, who was already deep in his cups. The especially perky kid (the new governor of New Serene, he was told, and still found it hard to believe) was trying to talk his way out of lost round of dice. 

At first, his third passenger was nowhere to be found, but when he moved closer to the largest group, he realized that the woman with loose, disheveled hair flying all over the place, dressed only in rumpled shirt and rolled up trousers, currently in the process of catching her breath after a fit of wild laughter, was indeed Lady De Sardet. 

He allowed himself a few moments to marvel at the difference between a buttoned up Madame dressed in expensive clothes and wide hat, tall collar trying to hide the strange mark on her face, hair tightly braided around her head, that boarded his ship and this wild, almost girlish sprite, before quickly reminding himself that in spite of her facade, she was still a pampered noblewoman - if one who could hold her drink with sailors.

The life of wealth and privilege he never knew and never would.

Normally, the nobles he transported barely interacted with his crew, limiting themselved to requests and pleasantries - and he liked it that way. These three however were not content with sitting in their quarters. And she was the worst. She spent as much time training with her master, as she did chatting up the cook or attempting to help with the day's work, despite his strict orders.

Still, when she laughed like this, her skin flushed, the shirt, clearly worn, unbuttoned almost down to her chest, parted as she leaned forward and Vasco foolishly wished it would fall off her shoulders completely. He turned away.

"All right, all right. You do not have to tell me, I will guess myself" Elise exclaimed, getting up, somehow unsteadily, and strutting towards a young Naut with a more complex tattoo than the rest of the crew, before kneeling near him and pretending to carefully examine his face, tracing her fingers across his cheek.

"These crooked lines surely mean the way you walk from bar after too many cups. This one is your mother's face - my apologies, it's actually an octopus. And these dots mean you have a lass in every port, except Serene - you have two there! And they are sisters!"

The Naut started roaring in laughter, closely followed by the rest of the group. Before he could catch himself, Vasco has joined in too. Flavia noticed his arrival and lifted her mug.

"Captain! Come join us before our guest guesses all of our secrets!"

Elise turned around too and, realizing that Vasco heard her, retreated back to her spot.

"I was intending to. I can't let Lady de Sardet entertain my crew all on her own," he said, taking a seat next to her. He wouldn't be shaken by her presence.

Elise noted the mocking tone in which the captain pronounced her name, but with her senses dulled by alcohol, she found herself only caring about having him sit beside her, his sharp eyes fixed on hers.

"I am well compensated for my labors, but it's appreciated" Elise said, although "compensated" came out a lot more slurred than she intended, and she saw the corners of Vasco's mouth rise.

_Oh, fuck._

"Can you guess the Captain's then?" Flavia laughed, setting her empty mug on the table.

Elise hesitated. "I...I am not sure he would appreciate that"

"He might. If you would ask him."

There was a second of stunned silence after Vasco spoke. 

_What am I doing?_

He could not even blame his words on drink, they simply flew out as if they had a will of their own. Vasco closed his eyes in frustration.

In a moment, he felt a slightly trembling finger land on his cheek, moving gently towards his chin, tracing the pattern of ink on his skin. Heat rose up in his chest. Elise continued, dragging her fingertip across his jaw and his neck. He turned to her in surprise, and found her expression entranced, almost reverent. 

"It's...this one is surely a cipher of some kind. It would take a long time to unravel."

"A cipher is it? Surely an experienced tattoo reader like you can tell me more than that," Vasco smirked, realizing all too late just how much he was enjoying her touch.

The crew went quiet, sensing the change of atmosphere. Their amused smiles vanished and instead they looked on. From the corner of the room, Kurt set down the dagger he was using to demonstrate the proper throwing technique and glanced at Elise, frowning. What was happening there?

All of a sudden, Elise jerked her hand back, shaking her head.

"I'm sorry captain, I cannot seem to guess your story," she said with an apologetic smile. Vasco noted that her usual controlled demeanor was slowly returning.

"At any rate, I will retire to my quarters. I probably overdid it with the rum," she laughed weakly and stood up, clearly in a hurry to get away. Vasco and his crew watched, confused, as she practically darted from the room, her hands trembling.

.............................

_Damn it. Damn. It._

Now she'd done it. They would all know. 

A diplomat entrusted with an important mission flirting with the captain of the ship that transported her. A few cups of rum and here she was, acting like a young fool. 

As she stormed into her modest quarters and practically slammed the door behind her, she hoped the feeling that overcame her would dissipate, but all the empty room did was remind her of a need, so urgent and intense it was impossible to ignore. Elise still felt the captain's skin under her fingertips, saw his gaze on her, heard his voice as he half mocked her, half challenged her, and she could stand it no longer.

She threw herself on her narrow bed, closing her eyes, feeling her dizzy head protest against the sudden change, but even more so the waves of want that started flooding her as soon as she touched Vasco's face. Quickly unbuttoning her shirt, she slowly moved her hand over her torso, circling her nipples and shivering as they hardened under her touch. She gradually dragged her hand lower, reaching under her trousers until she found the wetness between her legs. Arching her back, she impatiently started rolling her index and middle finger between her folds, slowly at first, but quickly increasing speed and pressure, as pleasure began to rise from her navel to her chest. 

There was no need to conjure up images that drove to the edge - without trying to, she saw it behind her closed eyelids.

_Vasco dragged her to his quarters that night, instead of her taking him to hers. As soon as he closed and locked the door behind them, he pulled Elise towards him, his eyes dark and hungry as his lips found hers. _

_There was no gentleness, only urgency as he bit and sucked her lower lip, opening up her mouth to deepen the kiss, their tongues thrusting into each other. Elise broke the kiss first, her breath heavy, heart hammering in her chest, only to push the captain to his chair, then dragging her lips and teeth down his throat, eliciting a low groan from him. _

_She kneeled between his legs, impatiently unbottoning his shirt, moving on to his trousers, feeling the hardness pressing into her palm, and tossing them aside. Seeing him like this, his head bent back, waching her, his chest rising and falling in heavy breaths, his cock stiff, just a few inches away from her mouth, Elise felt herself going mad with desire - but could not resist teasing a little._

_"So impatient, Captain."_

_His eyes closed and he exhaled sharply, his answer coming out in ragged breaths._

_"Do not tempt me or I swear I will take you over my desk, right this instant"_

_"Ah, we can't have that, can we" she smiled as she lowered her lips to his cock, slowly circling her tongue around his head before taking him in, hearing Vasco suck in a breath and feeling his hand grasp her hair, pulling her even closer._

In her quarters, Elise bit her lower lip, stifling a moan as she slid two fingers inside, circling her clit with her thumb. Her movements became frantic as she shuddered in pleasure.

_"Elise.." in a few moment Vasco called her name, his voice almost a moan, hand letting go of her hair. _

_She stopped the movement of her mouth, pulling herself up to look at him. In that instant, he grabbed her hips and rose, pressing her against the wall so quickly she did not have time to react. He easily lifted her up and pushed himself against her, his cock still slick with her saliva._

_"Your turn" he whispered, biting at her earlobe and, holding her hips, thrust into her in one swift motion. She cried out and buried her fingers in his shoulders as he moved, feeling the pleasure rise inside her._

_Faster! Faster!_

She was seeing stars as her body spasmed, muscles clenching her fingers more, and more and...

The release hit her hard, and she just about managed to bite into her pillow to at least try and stifle the deep moan that escaped from her throat. For a few minutes she just laid there, breathing deeply, enjoying the bliss that filled her entire body. 

It was only then that she suddenly felt completely sober, and only a couple of seconds later, a realization hit her, and she had to cover her face in shame. 

She had no idea how would she face the captain the next morning.


	3. A sea-change Into something rich and strange

“En garde!” Constantin shouted and lunged at Kurt, who, with a single sidestep, easily avoided the dulled tip of his training blade.

“First of all, Your Highness” he laughed “it is generally recommended not to shout ´en garde´ when you’re about to attack someone. No need to give your opponent a heads-up.”

Constantin turned his head, frowning, then resumed his previous posture, weapon raised.

“I thought it only polite. After all, I am giving my opponent a chance to flee before I dispense justice,” he smirked and began circling Kurt, who mirrored his movements - cramped as they were on a deck constantly filled with moving bodies.

“Do not worry, I doubt Your Highness will have a lot of chances to fight back-alley thugs and ruffians,” Kurt smiled, halting to stop when he almost ran into a Naut carrying what seemed like a heavy crate. “That’s what me and my guard is for.”

“You say that like it’s a good thing, taking all the glory for yourself,” Constantin scoffed, suddenly looking bored and sheathing the blade.

Elise watched them from the upper deck, leaning on railing with a smile on her lips, hoping that her cousin did not really plan to throw himself into street fights when they landed in New Serene. 

Then she frowned. A disturbing message came from the crow’s nest this morning - in spite of all their weather predictions being correct so far, they were surprised by a huge storm brewing just a day’s travel from their current positions, and all three ships en route to Teer Fradee had to change course and set sail north. They were assured that all it meant was a slight prolonging of their journey, and that they would reach their destination with only a few days’ delay at most.

She could not help but marvel at the precision with which Nauts measured every aspect of their voyage. Was magic involved? Did they use calculations based on some obscure mathematical algorithms? Were they simply so accustomed to life at sea that they saw patterns that eluded her? At any rate, asking the secretive Nauts was out of the question, no matter how many weeks they traveled and drank together. Certain topics would forever remain closed. She leaned back, closing her eyes, enjoying the fact that the merciless sun beating at their heads for the last couple of weeks abated somewhat, clouds gathering across the sky.

_Mother, if you could only be here. If you could see this and look forward to new horizons with me..._

“Don’t worry. We’ll make landfall before your cousin and master of arms manage to slash the whole ship apart.”

Elise startled, momentarily losing her balance, but quickly gathered herself, as Vasco stood next to her, facing the deck where her companions apparently decided to end their training early, arms behind his back. If she was not the only person standing anywhere close to him, she would swear he was only talking to himself. He held the tricorn he usually wore in his hand, his light hair tied back from his face with a strip of leather, exposing even more of his tattoos.

_Be friendly. Polite, nothing more._

“Hopefully. I imagine it would be difficult to explain such an accident.”

“I am surprised you are not down there with them - after all, I hardly ever saw you do anything else for the past weeks.”

“Best not to let fighting skills go to rust. It is far too easy to get comfortable.”

She mentally congratulated herself. No stammering, no odd phrasing. Still, she felt her ears, mercifully hidden beneath her hat, burn red. Who would have thought, she almost laughed, that leading a polite and coherent conversation with a man who became the sole object of her filthy fantasies and whom she, as recently as two days ago, pictured taking her against the wall, would be somewhat difficult? It would be easier to persuade a Gasconian diplomat to take lodgings in a more modest guestroom without resorting to shouting and insults.

Vasco remained quiet, only slightly nodding in agreement.

“This morning’s complications, however, do mean that you will have to endure our presence for a few days more,” she could not help adding. This earned her a stare she interpreted as disbelieving - softened by an unexpected smile.

“I thought your main concern would be going without an entourage of maids at your beck and call for far longer than acceptable.”

_Prickly as ever, the Captain_. Elise scoffed. 

All right then. She would play his game.

“As a ship’s captain, I imagine having people at your beck and call is a foreign concept to you.”

He seemed to bristle at that.

“Having your whole life decided before the moment you are born, your face marked so nobody can ever make any mistake in assuming who you are - and managing to make the best of that situation - and you compare it to a cushy life of a pampered noble?”

Elise frowned.

“Believe me, I know a thing or two being born with a mark on your face, influencing who you are allowed to be.”

An uncomfortable silence fell on them, disturbed only by the sounds of waves lapping at the sides of ship’s hull. Elise felt a sudden urge to apologize, but her pride wouldn’t let her.

“It was merely a way for me to demonstrate the absurdity of the statement, not means to insult you,” she said instead.

“Yet, you did not manage either of those things.”

Was he...smiling?

Elise involuntarily assumed a more defensive posture, crossing her arms as she turned to him, noticing he mirrored her movement, slightly tilting his head.

“Perhaps. I am however wondering if you made it your goal to be as crude as possible in attempt to drive me off the ship in a lifeboat.”

“Alas, it did not work yet, so I imagine I am not doing a good job of that. Except... the day before yesterday.”

_Damn the man._

_He just had to go and remind her._

“I assure you I am not that easily insulted and driven from good company by a few sharp looks. I was simply feeling...overwhelmed by drinking.”

“So I noticed,” Vasco’s voice was low, almost a whisper.

_Noticed? Noticed what? _

He hesitated, seeing a glint of panic in her eyes, quickly covered - but the more he watched her, the more he saw behind the mask of a diplomat she constantly wore. In truth, the sight was still burned into the back his eyelids - two nights ago, he was spurned by an unusual need to apologize to De Sardet, attempting to knock at her quarters’ door, finding them instead not properly shut and opening slightly at his touch.

It was surely a stroke of a genius of the one who designed and built the Sea-Horse, that the first thing a passer-by saw was a narrow bunk bed - and that the first thing the captain saw was Elise, her back arched, her shirt pulled apart, eyes closed and lips parted as small sighs escaped her throat and her free hand moved frantically between her thighs. 

Of course he did the sensible thing and quietly shut the door, leaving immediately. 

Of course he did not linger a minute, too stunned to move, drinking in the curve of her breasts as her chest moved in quick breaths - until he heard his name being called from the mess hall, and only then tearing himself away.

As he walked back, an insistent thought kept slipping into his head.

_I could make her moan so loud the whole ship would hear, make her call my name, beg me to make her come, she would never have to..._

He shook his head.

It has simply been too long.

Vasco was returned back to present by Jory, who hesitantly approached the two of them, no doubt with daily supplies and maintenance report, stopping in his tracks when he noticed that the captain had company.

Elise smiled, her polite, if a bit cold smile, Vasco noticed, and took a step back.

“Apologies, Captain, I will not keep you from your duties.”

And with that she was gone, descending the stairs to the main hull, towards her cabin, all the while persuading herself, that she was merely being paranoid.

There was no way he knew.

He couldn’t have.

.......................................................................................................................

The sea seemed to sense her disquiet and grew more and more turbulent. As night approached, the black waves grew larger and cold wind beat against the hull. She sat with Kurt in the mess hall eating her dinner, Constantin having excused himself, as all the rocking and heaving did not sit well with his stomach.

“Never seen a storm like this before, and I’ve sailed through hundreds of them,” Flavia frowned. “If I was not a woman of science, I would swear that it is following us.”

“Perhaps Teer Fradee is not as welcoming as we thought,” Kurt mused, half-joking.

“Are you suggesting that some kind of island magic is preventing us from making landfall?” Elise wondered.

“We’ve made this trip enough times to make the tides around the island accustomed to us, Your Excellency,” Flavia laughed, picking up her tools again and turning to leave. “Got to go. The riggings won’t tighten themselves.”

“I have to say – this life, almost constantly on a sea, there is something to it,” Kurt said, putting his bowl down on the table as the wind loudly slammed the door behind Flavia.

“A bit cramped, don’t you think?” Elise retorted, earning a smirk.

“No more than any barracks in the city, green blood.”

“That is probably true. Still, it will be good to be on solid ground once again.”

With that, Elise too stood up, excusing herself, knowing that with this wild tossing and turning, she had to at least try and get some sleep, although entering her cabin, she realized that she was not tired at all – and there were still some reports left to go over, especially on native settlements.

Shutting the door behind her, she lighted a lamp, setting it on a narrow table, where dozens of papers, lists and books lay in disarray. Sitting down, she picked up the most recent one, wondering once again how was it possible that so little of them contained any information about the language of people of Teer Fradee. Was it not the first thing that should have been studied?

Several hours passed, the oil in her lamp almost gone. The sea was showing no signs of calming down – in fact, it seemed to become even more restless. Several times she heard loud footsteps and hollering voices outside her door, as sailors passed through the narrow corridor. 

Sometime around midnight, she got up to refill her pitcher of water, opening the door and nearly crashing into a tall figure walking past her door and stopping there.

_Who could it be at this hour? Unless…of course._

“Can’t sleep either Constantin?” Elise smiled, but lifting the lamp in her hand, a different face than her cousin’s emerged from the darkness.

“Captain? Is something the matter?”

It must have been raining outside, his hair was wet, several strands stuck to his face, eyes watching her as if he was trying to figure something out.

“De Sardet. Sorry if I disturbed you.”

It was odd, the way Vasco's voice sounded. Not timid exactly, more hesitating. He never took this tone with her. Mocking, abrasive - sure. Confused - frequently, especially for the past few days. What’s more, he did not look inclined to continue walking anywhere, and Elise’s heart skipped a beat. Was he here to see her?

Perhaps, she forced herself to rationalize, it was time to bury the hatchet, so to speak – their earlier conversation left a bitter taste in her mouth.

“You did not, don’t worry. I was up. Actually, if you have some time, I’d like to ask you something,” she proposed, shuffling from the door towards her desk, full of notes.

As far as invitations go, she congratulated herself, this was one of the more subtle ones. Elise fully expected Vasco to excuse himself with some snide remark and continue whatever he was doing before he came here. Instead, he walked in, closing the door behind him.

It was difficult to hide her surprise - and her excitement, as his presence seemed to shrink the already cramped cabin, the faint light of the lantern casting shadows on his face.

“I have some time. Ask away,” he muttered, as he moved closer towards the table, unashamedly looking over the papers.

“I’m afraid you’ll find nothing of interest there. Only reports and observations from Teer Fradee,” Elise said hurriedly.

Vasco looked up at her, as he fished out a thin book, hidden under a precariously positioned stack of papers, smiling as he read the title.

“Is this also mandatory reading for diplomats of New Serene?” he asked as he leafed through the pages.

“Not quite,” Elise confessed, unsure if he was mocking her, or if his interest was genuine. “But if long voyages offer anything, it’s a chance for pleasure reading.”

“He is one of my favorite poets,” Vasco turned to her, and placed the book back on the table. “Does that surprise you? You do look as if you were doubting me.”

There it was, the slight sting beneath his words, daring her. But this time, she had no interest in taking his bait.

“No. It suits you, actually”

It was Vasco’s turn to be taken aback.

This must be her way of throwing him off balance. Her underhanded compliments and patronizing smile. He stepped closer, taking care to watch her face for any signs of haughtiness and malice - instead he couldn’t help but notice how full were her lips, how, even in this weak light, he could see light freckles all over her face, how sad her eyes seemed.

At night, everything feels surreal and dream-like, Elise noticed, her pride long dissolved as she gazed into his eyes. He spoke first.

“You had...a question for me, I recall.”

“Would you like to spend time with me? Tonight.”

Her original question was long forgotten.

Instead of an answer, Vasco reached his hand towards her face, where her mark began, tenderly stroking her cheek.

“Are you sure?” he asked softly. Elise felt like laughing but quickly caught herself. 

Was she sure? 

Oh, if he only knew.

She wanted to throw herself at him, push him down on her bed and do things to him that would make a harlot blush but...somehow she felt like the initiative should be his.

“Yes.”  
In an instant, he put his hands on her waist and, pulling her towards him, slowly pressed his lips to hers.

_This isn’t real._

Elise thought as she placed her hand on the back of Vasco’s head, pulling him closer, their kiss quickly deepening and turning hungry, almost deperate, as his hand started caressing her bare skin under her shirt, a bolt of arousal striking her when he brushed her breast. She attempted to quickly undo the buttons on his soaked shirt, her hands trembling, and felt him smile against her lips.

“So impatient.”

_Oh he didn’t just..._

But her complaints were quickly stifled as he threw the shirt aside and kissed her again, pressing her against the cabin’s wall, his hands trailing the curves of her waist. Slow, almost painfully slow - he must have known that it drove her mad, this waiting, the noose she tied for herself by leaving him in charge.

“Vasco..” his name came out as a sigh, as he slid his hand between her legs, stroking her, lightly, too lightly, and she pressed her hips against him in desperation, feeling him hard against her.

“Please...”

He cursed under his breath. This woman, this...temptress would break a more patient man, a man he was not. He increased the pressure on her clit as Elise cried out,burying her face in his shoulder. Just a few moments more, he ordered himself, as he slipped two fingers inside her and watched her as she threw her head back, a moan escaping her lips. Just to see her fall apart, before taking her, right here... 

...a jolt, so strong that everything that wasn’t nailed down jumped and scattered across the floor. They both lost their footing and almost fell down, before Elise grabbed hold of a bed frame.

Another one, and the whole ship seemed to jump. In an instant the quiet was filled with shouting voices and thumping of boots, a sharp sound of bell ringing in the distance.

Voices shouting “Captain!” and “Where the bloody hell is he?”. 

Doors being thrown open in panic. 

Vasco quickly let go of Elise, hastily throwing on his shirt just in time to face a visibly terrified Lauro, who just about barged inside, eyes wide open, completely blind to the scene in front of him.

“Captain, there you are! There is...there is something in the water!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who doesn't love a cockblocking sea monster?


	4. Full fathom five thy father lies

Elise was given no time to process this information, as another jolt rammed into the ship’s hull, making the room tilt precariously - and then, she heard a sound of something heavy bashing against the wood, followed by an audible splintering and cracking and a loud, deep wailing. She steadied herself, still holding on to the wooden beam that was beginning to show cracks. 

Sometimes, during the long nights when the ocean was quiet, she could make out a faint calling of whales, always seeming to sound from deep below. This sound however...it was unearthly. 

She still felt dizzy, her knees weak from Vasco’s touches, but her anger at the interruption was quickly replaced by worry for Constantin and Kurt.

“Report! What did the lookout see?” Vasco had abandoned the attempt to button his shirt with one hand, while he held on to the edge of the table, instead urging terrified, panting Lauro to speak.

“I...I’m not sure, it’s so dark nobody could recognize much, I swear! But there was a giant shape in the water, making these...these unholy sounds, sort of like it was weeping and then...an arm...no two of them, the size of tree trunks, I...” 

That seemed to be all the distressed sailor could manage to say - but there was no time to elaborate further, as another heavy blow to the hull sent them all flying. The shouting on the deck grew louder, the sound of bell more urgent. Elise quickly scrambled to her feet, rubbing her bruised elbow and stepped towards the pair of sailors, offering a hand to Lauro who shook so badly he had a hard time standing up. Then she turned to face Vasco. In the dark, however, she could not discern his expression.

“What do we do? Is there a protocol we follow? I need to get to Kurt and Constantin, we can...”

“Kurt was with us when the...the monster appeared, Your Excellency, he’s upstairs. I’ve not seen your cousin yet,” Lauro shouted over the creaking of wood, wild waves bashing against the hull and voices outside - too soon, as it turned out, as Constantin chose this very moment to run past, stopping in his tracks only when he heard the commotion.

“Cousin! You’re alright!”

He immediately grasped her by shoulders, a somewhat worried smile on his face. His coat was on crooked, a rapier on his belt, but looked no worse for the wear.

“You too,” Elise smiled, relieved.

“I was up on the deck when those monstrous arms shot out of water - Kurt stayed there and I only ran back here to get my weapon. Shame I’ve left my pistol, but this will have to suffice” he rattled out, grabbing Elise by her arm.

“Let’s go! We have to help!”

“No.”

Vasco finally spoke, his voice firm and resolute. Elise looked back at him, stunned. Constantin frowned and readied himself to protest but then he noticed the state of the captain’s clothing - or rather a lack of it, and instead threw Elise a questioning look.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Exactly what I said. The two of you are to be protected, not thrown to the front lines. This is our job.”

Another piercing wail, a heavy thud right above them, as if something enormous fell upon the deck. A scream of pain as a wave of seawater washed over the ship and poured down the stairs.

“Surely you do not expect us to sit down here and wait while you fight?” Elise said, managing to sound much calmer than she felt.

“That is precisely what I expect.”

And with that, he hastily stepped out of the room, beckoning Lauro to follow him. Elise only heard him shout for the gun crew and then his voice got lost in the commotion. She bit her lip in frustration. Even if she knew and understood that this was standard protocol, that he did not ask anything unreasonable, she was still taken aback by how quickly his usual cold demeanor returned.

_I can’t believe I was about to fuck this man. _

“We’re not staying put, are we?”

Constantin’s voice returned her to the present. He was leaning against the doorframe for stability as the ship rocked precariously, but looked ready for anything except staying put. A familiar voice was almost screaming at her inside her mind - don’t let him get hurt, don’t let him rush into danger.

“I’ll go,” Elise muttered, quickly throwing on a coat, ignoring her disheveled shirt and hair, instead firmly grasping the ring in its left inner pocket. “Kurt is out there. The Captain can have me thrown overboard for disobeying his orders later.”

If he would act as if nothing happened, so could she...right?

“I assume you meant _we_ will go, correct?” Constantin would not be so easily deterred.

“At any rate, why was the captain even...”

This time, she did not manage to hold on, as something massive slammed right into the side of the ship with such a force it sent her headfirst into nearest wall. The pain momentarily blinded her, her ears ringing, forcing her to sink to her knees, cursing under her breath.

“Constantin?” she called out weakly, but there was no response, except for what seemed like someone desperately trying to take a breath.

Fighting her nausea, Elise forced herself to open her eyes, only to look right into a terrified face of a sailor lying on the ground like a broken marionette, jagged pieces of wood jutting out of his bloody chest. Once, twice more he attempted to get air to his punctured lungs, but it was all his body could muster.

“No...” she whispered, backing away.

_This is not happening. This can’t be. ___

_ _She stumbled out of the room like a woman possessed, stepping over debris over which freely poured saltwater rushing from the deck, up the stairs, through the hatch, where the true pandemonium took place._ _

_ _The sea was heaving like a herd of wild horses, tossing the ship as if it was a toy, waves rolling over the deck where sailors desperately tried to hold on. A group of them were waving barely lit torches before what seemed like pitch-black tendrils, the screaming and shouting almost drowning out the unearthly shrieking coming from below. Rain and fierce wind obscured her view, quickly soaking her through._ _

_ _“FIRE!” the captain’s shout sounded from somewhere above, and with a thunderous crash the cannons went off. The creature screamed as several arms were hit, spattering the deck with dark blood. The rest of them seemed to shake in rage, as they resumed their attack, aiming towards a group of sailors with muskets in their hands._ _

_ _Fear took over Elise as she jumped over the fallen crates and sprinted towards them. As the heavy mass threatened to crush the sailors, she reached out her left hand, emptying her mind, focusing on a single word._ _

_ _ _HOLD._ _ _

_ _In the faint light of torches, the arms seemed to freeze in their movement, as if encased in ice. The nearest sailors bracing for the attack looked at her in disbelief and gratitude. The creature however, was strong, and she knew magic would not hold in for long. She turned her head towards the main deck, straining against the monster, hoping that Vasco would hear her._ _

_ _“Tell your men to fire! Now!” she yelled as loudly as she could. She was not sure if the captain heard her over the cacophony of noises, but in a minute a deafening volley of gunfire pierced the night, bullets shattering the magical prison, as well as several arms of the creature. The scream it let out almost deafened her, but the injured arms sank back into the waves. _ _

_ _“De Sardet! I told you to stay put!”_ _

_ _Vasco grasped her by the shoulder and turned her to face him. His eyes were wild with anger, rain and wind tugging at his soaked clothes._ _

_ _“I came only to look for Constantin! Should I have left your crew get mauled in a process when I could do something do prevent that?” she shouted back at him. Was nothing she did good enough for him?_ _

_ _In the dark and heavy rain, it was difficult to be sure, but his expression seemed to soften then. Was it fear in his eyes she saw? His hand lingered on her shoulder and she realized at once just how terrified he was - not for himself, but for his crew, his friends. _ _

_ _His family._ _

_ _“Let me help.”_ _

_ _As if on command, the creature resumed its attack, a new cluster of tendrils shooting out of the water, wrapping themselves around the masts, pulling something heavy out of the water. This seemed to be enough for Vasco to make a decision._ _

_ _“Take point with gunners on the main deck. Can you repeat that trick a few more times?”_ _

_ _She nodded. “I won’t let it get close,” and was ready to make a dash for it. What she did not expect was for the Captain to pull her close, crashing their lips together for the briefest moment, before turning around and running off into the fray._ _

_ _Damn it. Damn him. _ _

_ _As if it was not enough that she was deathly worried for her cousin, for Kurt, for their lives and safety, now the only thing she saw was the broken body of the dead sailor downstairs, bearing Vasco’s face.  
I won’t let it happen. _ _

_ _She quickly took her place behind the cluster of sailors on the main deck, their hands shaking as they aimed on the creature. Somewhere. Vasco must have given order to the gun crew to fire, as the ship shook with the blow, canonballs shooting forward._ _

_ _A hit._ _

_ _The heavy mass pulled towards the deck by the arms twisted around the ship writhed and shook - their victory was, however, short lived, as the foremast broke under the heavy weight and slowly slumped to the side.  
Elise desperately sent out her magic, slowing the fall as well as she could, but she could feel exhaustion creeping in. _ _

_ _The creature lost its balance for a moment, instead looping its massive arms around the hull, crushing several sailors underneath._ _

_ _“NO!” Elise screamed, a crackling cloud of energy forming in her palms, hitting the monster as she reached out. It did not seem to mind, instead tightened its grip, cracking the hull like an eggshell. The deck tilted, the force of the blow sent her flying backwards, crashing against the railing. _ _

_ _One beat._ _

_ _Two. _ _

_ _Shouting, swearing, screams of pain, blood on her hands._ _

_ _Someone called her name. The other side of the ship._ _

_ _“Go! The ship is lost, take the life-boat, we will distract it!”_ _

_ _“The life-boat! There is one over...damn it!!”_ _

_ _“Where is she? I’m not leaving without her, do you hear me? Let me go Kurt!!”_ _

_ _She felt herself being lifted and carried, but then a loud explosion shattered the world into nothing and nothing, until the nothingness reached the surface of water and swallowed her whole._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this is going to be a lot more story-heavy than I expected! Buut I promise I'm gonna put in more action in next chapter.


	5. Hear my soul speak

The whole world was upside down. She felt something wet and coarse underneath her hands, water quietly rolling over her legs. No seagulls. Why are there no seagulls? This thought suddenly made her stomach heave, and she scrambled on all fours as she vomited saltwater until her eyes stung. She almost did not feel warm hands gently holding her shoulders, until she heard a familiar voice:

“It’s alright.”

“Vasco...?” she croaked, her throat still hoarse and dry from thirst - and the pounding headache at the back of her head bringing tears to her eyes. But even through them, she saw him, and words left her. 

His clothing was soaked and torn, several bloody gashes clearly visible through the fabric. His hair was plastered to his head, stiff with salt, a deep wound running across his forehead, dried blood caking the left side of his face, covering the tattoos.

But his eyes...

Once, back in Serene, she was visiting an old family friend, who recently lost his wife and his children in a great fire, to offer their condolences and financial help. The man greeted her as politely as he was expected to, a smile on his face. His eyes though, were dead, lost to the grief.

Vasco’s eyes looked the same.

A deep sadness gripped her, as she wiped her mouth and laid down on the cold sand. The ship, the creature, the...Constantin! 

This was not real, she tried tor repeat to herself, new tears welling up in her eyes.

_No._

Standing up so suddenly was surely a bad idea, but her mind kept screaming at her to do something. She tried to steady herself as waves of nausea rolled over her, looking towards the horizon , the sea mockingly calm, scraps of wood, sheets, crates and debris floating towards the shore. 

No sign of the ship. No bodies. The beach was also littered by the remains of the hull, lined by tall rock formations, behind which she could see a dense forest.

Wait.

This was it. This must have been it, they were less than a day’s journey from Teer Fradee when the attack happened. She was standing on the very island that she longed to see for months. 

But not like this. 

She hugged herself, a sudden gust of wind sending a chill up her skin. Her clothes were wet, her coat probably somewhere on the sea bed.

“I need to go I need to...I need to find them, follow the wreckage.”

“Kurt and Constantin managed to board the lifeboat with several of my crew. I did not see if they got away. They were looking for you, but in the chaos...” Vasco’s voice was steady, but quiet.

“I found you unconscious, attempted to get you to them. It was too late,” he lowered his head. “The gunpowder reserves must have exploded and it threw us overboard. I have no idea how I survived. I walked for hours until I found you, I…thought you were dead at first.”

Elise crouched to be at his level, looking at his profile. He never stopped looking towards the sea. Taking a risk, she slowly extended her hand and touched his cheek, fully expecting him to flinch, or slap her hand away. Instead, he closed his eyes and breathed out.

“I’m so sorry this happened. I know it’s not of any consolation but…there was nothing more that could have been done,” she almost whispered, trying to convince herself of the same. 

What more could anyone do, against impossible odds, but try to save as many people as he could? And Vasco did more. He stayed behind, he risked his life to save her. Maybe he could have saved someone from his crew instead. But he followed the protocol to the end.

She bit her lip in frustration.

“Better orders, for start” Vasco smiled bitterly, finally facing her. “If you did as I said and stayed downstairs, you would most likely be dead. And the fault would be mine.”

Elise withdrew her hand, feeling thoughts swarm like flies in her head.

“We have to go,” she muttered, once again standing up, slowly and more cautiously this time. “We can follow the coastline south until we reach a settlement, there we will get help and inform them of what happened. Then we need to send word to New Serene and possibly gather several groups to comb the island for survivors.”

“If we are to find survivors, we have to go north,” a bit of strength seemed to return to Vasco’s voice as he spoke. He stood up, visibly wincing and Elise quickly grabbed his arm for support.

“Look at the sea, the direction of the waves. Feel the current of wind.”

Elise followed his words, and saw that while some flotsam landed near them, the waves carried the rest away, to their left. Still, she eyed Vasco warily. The movement made his face even paler, his breath was ragged and the wound on his shoulder opened again, blood soaking his already ruined shirt.

“Vasco I…there is only two of us, we are wounded and exhausted, with no food or water. How long can we last our here without help? It would be wiser to seek assistance so we do not…”

“The current must have swept the lifeboat that way as well. If you do not care for the lives of my crew, you might at least care that Constantin and Kurt are probably that way as well,” he said bitterly, pulling himself away from her. Elise stared at him in disbelief.

“Do you hear yourself right now? I want to find them all, as soon as possible, but I am also trying to be realistic about our chances. A larger group, or even the two us with weapons, supplies and some sense of direction will do more good than our blind search!” she tried to argue, but Vasco was already walking away from her.

_Bastard._

He gave her no choice but to follow him, or head south alone. Resigned, Elise picked up a long branch that must have fallen from a particularly large tree and tried to match Vasco’s pace.

Following the coastline proved more tricky than she expected, as the rocky slopes sometimes cut off their path, extending far into the sea, forcing them to walk through the shallows, or find a path uphill. They found no trace of survivors, nor any bodies, only clusters of tracks quickly being erased by the rising tide. Elise sometimes sifted through the debris, the only salvageable thing she found an empty waterskin, a soaked crate of hardtack and several dirty sheets of linen.

As the sun slowly began to set and rainclouds gathered above them , Elise felt she would collapse on the spot, and was just about to shout at Vasco to stop, when he did just that of his own volition, swaying on the spot before sinking to his knees in the sand.

“Vasco!” she called out, her exhaustion forgotten as she rushed to his side. He looked almost half-dead, his lips cracked and bleeding, his wound reopened, frowning as he tried to stand up.

“You stubborn idiot” Elise muttered as she swung his arm over her shoulders and propped him up. He was heavier than she expected, or maybe she had no strength left. They would have to find a place for the night, a shelter from the impending rain…despair gripped her, pushing tears into her eyes.

“De Sardet, I am fine, you will hurt yourself this way…” Vasco’s voice was barely a whisper.

“The hell you are! We are not taking another step north until you rest,” she almost yelled through tears of exhaustion.

There.

Cut into the rock face was something that looked like a shallow cave, and she half walked half dragged both of them inside, where she immediately collapsed, leaning against the rocky surface.

The cave was deeper than she expected and, mercifully, empty. Its floor was dry enough, but must have been used by someone in the past, as several large rocks encircled what once must have been coals and ash, a pile of dry twigs nearby. 

Her heart leapt at the thought, before she realized that it was not nearly recent enough to having been used by other survivors.

It was still a shelter.

A start.

An hour later, there was a fire burning in the far side of the cave, fed by dry twigs and pieces of wood from the wreckage. Vasco sat near the flames, his shirt drying up on the stone near the heat, looking slightly better after Elise threatened him with bodily harm if he did not eat and drink, and deciding dying from thirst would likely hinder his search. 

The rain was a blessing after all, as Elise managed to fill the waterskin, now using some of the water and a torn piece of a linen sheet to clean the wounds on his back and shoulder, tying a strip of cloth around them.

A small mercy, he thought, that she could not see his face, full of shame and anger. He was so blind with grief that he put both of them in danger – put her in danger, and instead of stomping off alone, Elise followed him, cared for him – even as she cursed him under her breath when she thought he didn’t hear her, never faltering. He was, he realized, being unfair to her. 

From the moment he saw her body washed up on the shore and felt like someone tore his heart out, and then when he felt she was breathing and alive after all, and that feeling was replaced by relief so strong it startled him.

He was not supposed to feel that way after losing everything he had. After watching his crew suffer and die. 

This feeling had no place in the midst of his grief, and so it manifested as anger.

“I need to clean the wounds on your face and chest.”

Her voice pulled him back to the present, as she moved to face him – very briefly, wetting the cloth and setting to work, never looking him in the eye, even as she wiped the dried blood from his face. 

He could not help it – her closeness, her warm breath on his skin, it was at once comforting as well as deeply distracting. Vasco watched as the flickering flames painted shadows on her face in the darkness around them, her mark even darker against her skin, the salt stiffening her hair, making him fight the urge to reach out and brush it from her face.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” she asked suddenly, briefly glancing up.

“Just thinking,” Vasco hesitated, meeting her eyes before continuing. “I wish to apologize to you. I was treating you unfairly. You also lost people dear to you and I acted as if the loss was mine alone.”

Surprise transformed her face, quickly giving way to barely concealed sadness.

“You genuinely think I…that I care nothing for the lives of your crew. That I do not grieve for each of the ones that died, while I live. That I wouldn’t do anything to find them as soon as possible, safe and sound.”

It was not a question, and yet Vasco felt compelled to answer.

“Ever since I met you I treated you the way I expected you to treat us – when you didn’t, I was confused. Didn’t know what to think and then…”

In a moment, a memory of the night before seemed to flash between them, and Vasco watched as color rose in Elise’s cheeks, and she spoke quickly to hide it.

“I heard of spells that help locate people – tracking spells that I never bothered to learn more about. They would be most useful now.”

“You seemed to be skilled with magic. I saw you fight against the creature.”

Vasco smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder, wishing to comfort her. The memory brought with it anger and despair, but pride as well.

“When I saw you holding it back, freezing it in spot with your spell, shouting through the storm and wind, I thought you looked like a living tempest.”

A bitter smile tugged at her lips as she spoke, cleaning the bloody cloth with more water from the waterskin.

“A tempest you say. The force that brings ruin and destruction.”

Vasco cursed his choice of words.

“Not necessarily. It’s a force that compels and moves, it changes and shifts everything around it. As do you.”

His words were met with silence - something so uncharacteristic of her it worried him.

"I am curious - how exactly does a noblewoman learn how to set a fire in wilderness and tend to wounds?" he asked after a while, eyes fixed on her.

A hint of mischievous spark flashed through her face.

"Why, Captain, how would you know if these skills are not a part of a diplomat’s training?"

Vasco turned away from her.

"I can hardly call myself that now. No ship, no crew, no captain," he muttered and flinched as she moved to clean the cut on his forehead.

"You’re losing hope altogether too quickly," Elise said, then continued after a brief pause. "I used to do this for Constantin, when we were younger. He was always somehow getting into trouble. Sometimes ended up in fights he always claimed he did not start."

A fond smile briefly lit up her eyes.

"No matter what happened, or how many scrapes and bruises he returned with, he never ran to his parents, but to..."

Elise’s hand froze near his face, water dripping down, and Vasco realized she was unsuccessfully trying to hold back tears. Suddenly he noticed how exhausted she looked, her lower lip bitten bloody from frustration, dark shadows under her eyes. 

If there was something he could do for her, anything to make this more bearable, he thought, he would do it at once. 

He moved without thinking. 

He gently took the hand that held the piece of cloth, taking it from her grasp and setting it beside him. She held his gaze as he cradled her face in his hands and slowly placed his lips over hers, tasting salt and copper. 

He felt her stiffen, and then relax as he pulled her to his lap and deepened the kiss, her lips parting under his caress. The hunger from the night before seemed to return to him tenfold, as his fingers found the bare skin under her shirt, but he still wanted to make sure that Elise was alright.

Pulling back from the kiss, his hands lingered at her waist, looking into her glazed eyes and finding something so surprised and tender in them he smiled and pulled her closer still.

“Tell me…is this unwelcome? Do you want me to stop?”

Instead of an answer, Elise exhaled, her smile matching Vasco’s, and with a few quick tugs let her shirt fall from her shoulders, as she straddled him and sealed his mouth with her lips with an almost desperate hunger. 

Heat rose in his chest, where her bare breasts pressed against his skin, and he broke the kiss only to trail his mouth down her neck, biting at the sensitive skin near her collarbone, going lower and lower until he reached her breast.

Elise sighed his name and then cried out, hands grasping him tighter as he swirled his tongue over her nipple and gently bit down, holding her close with one hand, the other moving between her legs, stroking her through the fabric. 

She rocked her hips towards his touch, her breath growing more and more ragged while she reached for his belt, hurriedly undoing it. 

Vasco momentarily lifted himself, so she could pull down his trousers, quickly reaching for hers, discarding them.

“You’re beautiful,” he whispered, taking in the sight.

She kneeled above him, naked in the firelight, skin flushed and warm, and he wanted nothing more than to gaze at her, run his hands down her body, taste her - but Elise evidently had other ideas. 

She ran her hand down his chest, his abdomen, his upper thighs, finally wrapping her fingers around his stiff cock, leaning in to whisper in his ear:

“I want to touch you, first,” and kissed him again.

Setting a slow pace, she began to stroke him, catching his groans in her mouth. Vasco’s mind momentarily went blank at her touch, enveloped in her heat that made him want to forget everything else, quickly moving to reciprocate, finding the silky wetness between her legs.

Two fingers pushed inside her, his movement deliberately slow, and he felt her shiver and sigh into the kiss. 

He could not resist - he quickened his pace, curling his fingers to rub against the spot he knew was particularly sensitive, and she moaned and squirmed around him. 

At last, Vasco could not wait any longer, and withdrew his fingers only long enough to pull her hips towards him, grasping her buttocks as she immediately reacted, lowering herself until the head of his cock brushed against her entrance.

“I don’t want you to be gentle with me,” she whispered as she rubbed against him teasingly, almost making him lose control.

“I want to feel nothing else but you.”

Hearing her words, Vasco grabbed her by the hips, their eyes locked as he thrust upwards, making her cry out and bury her hands in his hair. 

Again and again he drove inside her, with Elise matching his pace, taking him as deep inside her as she could every time, moaning his name. 

The heat of their frantic movement seemed to consume them both, groans escaping their lips, hands desperately touching, grabbing each other, lips crashing together, teeth leaving marks on each other’s skin.

“Vasco...I...ah...please” she could barely speak now, unbearable pleasure sparking throughout her body. She was so close she was seeing stars, her thighs shaking more and more with each stroke.

“Look at me. I want to see your face.”

His voice was barely a groan between his ragged breaths, and when she obliged, he slid one hand to where they were joined, thumb rolling over her clit as she moved.

A few more seconds. Waves upon waves of heat, her whole body trembling, a low moan, her walls clenched around him - and Elise fell apart in his arms, a mere second before he groaned and pulled her to him, spilling inside her.

For a minute, the world was silent except for their panting, the crackling of the fire and distant sound of rain, both reluctant to let go and face the harsh reality again.

“Hmm...” Elise sighed, sleepy contentment creeping into her voice as she leaned against his warm body.

Vasco smiled into her shoulder

“My tempest,” he whispered.

Elise tightened her grip around him and, just for a moment, wished that morning, with its renewed grief, despair and unforgiving light, would never come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The plot thickens! Also thank you so, so much for all the amazing comments :)  
EDIT: fixed some typos and added a couple of lines of dialogue


	6. Awake, dear heart, awake

There would hardly be a better way to wake up - even if it was on a cold, rocky ground, warmed only by the smoldering remains of their fire, than this, Elise thought, as Vasco murmured something in his sleep and exhaled into her hair, his arm locked firmly around her waist. 

There was no other sound around, except for the waves breaking on the shore, the wind howling in the trees and the calling of a bird that was unknown to her, all distorted into echoes by the rocky walls of their cave. Dusk colored the sky in pale pink and warm gold – it was still some time until sunup. 

If only this was a warm bed, in a room of a tavern, light seeping in through the windows, or a cot in a ship’s cabin, or even this very ground, but knowing that their friends and family, as well as them, were safe. If only Vasco didn’t wake up several times during the night, gritting his teeth from pain, holding his injured shoulder, if terror did not grip her every time she heard various howls and shrieks of wild animals in the dark.

Too many ifs.

She allowed herself a few more moments of wishful thinking, reluctant to stir and disturb Vasco who finally seemed to be peacefully asleep, his warm body pressed against her. Truth be told, her mind and body were taut as a drawn bowstring, too tense to let her truly rest, even though she knew that there would likely be no more sleep for quite some time. 

What happened only a few hours ago felt as if it was a distant memory, as if the man involved was not right here beside her, still distractingly naked against her equally bare skin. 

It made no sense - ever since she woke up on the beach, she only thought of their survival, where they were, how should they proceed. A few kind words, a few touches and something primal took over, as if the island willed her to it. Exhaustion, hunger, a need for someone to hold, that is all there must have been to it.

After all, what did she knew about Vasco? That he was a sea-given? That he was perhaps a few months younger than herself but a more than capable captain, that he held nobility in contempt, but valued honestly and skill? But no, it was not all she knew about him after all. His devotion, his love for poetry, his sense of humor...

Certainly more than she knew about some other men she had in her bed, but not enough to judge his reaction when he would wake up. There would be no awkward “Oh what a night! But I must leave now, lest I miss a very-convenient-excuse” ’s. No blaming too much drink or hot weather. Only another day where they would have to work together to survive.   
Clear mind. Focus. 

Because if she lacks it... 

Elise carefully twisted herself towards Vasco, leaning on her elbow, unashamedly looking him over. She saw him undressed before, in her cabin before the disaster struck, but it was dark then and besides, she was too stunned by him being there at all to see properly. Now, there was nothing obscuring her view. 

Before, when she cleaned his wounds, she willed herself to think only of the injuries, not of the lean body they were inflicted on, or the serious gray eyes that were watching her every move. They were closed now, a frown settling on his face, lips moving, forming silent words, the pattern of tattoos reaching just under the collarbone dark against his skin. He was much too pale, Elise realized, and even through the makeshift dressing, she could see that the deep cut on his shoulder was bleeding again, skin around it an angry red.

She frowned. It could have been an infection, something that could potentially be life-threatening, something she was more than ill-equipped to deal with.

At the very least, the more shallow cuts looked to be healing, even if she was less than careful in her touches last night. Elise silently cursed herself. 

She would bet some of the pale bruises on his neck were her fault.

A smile suddenly formed on Vasco’s lips.

“De Sardet, I know you are watching me.”

She chuckled, moving to place a hand on his cheek.

“Good. It’s a handy skill to have, being able to see with one’s eyes closed.”

He looked at her then, gaze still unfocused from sleep and Elise felt her chest tighten, as affection coiled inside her. She was not prepared for this at all, nor for the tenderness with which he took her hand, slowly rising to sit, leaning on his uninjured shoulder.

“I had a dream – a mermaid with golden hair and eyes like the midday sky rose from the sea, rescued me from the shore and kept me company through the night,” he said, reaching out to brush a wayward strand of hair from her face. “But I see it was not a dream after all.”

Elise felt herself blushing crimson before finding the words that always seemed to elude her in his presence.

“A strange mermaid that did not wish to keep you in her underwater palace.”

He let out a quiet laugh.

_Gods, let it stay like this, just a moment more._

“I suppose so. And good thing she didn’t too, I suspect I wouldn’t have reached it alive.“

The exchange seemed to string the same chord in both of them, and they averted their eyes from each other, the cloak of fear and grief falling heavily over their heads once again.

“We should probably go, so we get the most of daylight. Are you well enough? You must be in pain...I don’t like the way your wound is looking,” Elise tentatively reached for his shoulder, but Vasco moved away before she touched him.

“It’s nothing. And even if it was, well, there is not much any of us could do about it,” he said, pain briefly flashing across his face before turning back to her with a sad smile. “You should be more concerned for yourself, from time to time.”

Elise reached to the back of her head, where a blinding pain shot up whenever she touched the spot that took the full brunt of a hit during their fight. This time however, she felt nothing, only her stiff, matted hair. It was not unusual for her to shake off any injuries quickly, something that always baffled Constantin to no end.

Her throat still felt like sandpaper, burning from thirst and the gallons of salt water, hunger twisted her stomach and all the muscles in her body seemed to complain with every movement- but that was it.

“I’m not as careless as you seem to think. I feel well enough to walk, although I fear I would not be much use in a fight,” she shot him a reassuring half-smile. “Do not worry.”

“I will,” Vasco muttered, looking towards the shore. “I know now that you are capable, but I fear I will not stop worrying until we find the survivors and reach the port of New Serene.”

“I am guessing that by now, our absence in the port has been noted,” Elise sighed, reaching for the waterskin tossed by the fire. Only a few sips of water left now.

“Yes, I imagine they will start by presuming we were delayed - the assumptions of the worst will come later."

If only she could turn the tide of time, to bring herself to the moment they were completely drowned in each other, the simplicity of need the only thing on her mind. Foolish thought, Elise told herself as she stood up, intent on focusing on nothing but the search for Kurt and Constantin - but perhaps, first, on finding her trousers. 

Dressed only in her shirt, she stopped in her tracks as the sudden movement made her aware of the warm, sticky wetness between her legs, slowly running down her bare thighs.

Speaking of carelessness.

Vasco was beside her before she managed to call him, holding a torn cloth, looking at once apologetic and sheepish, a hint of a blush that seemed to make him appear even younger creeping into his face.

“Forgive me I...I completely lost control last night. I did not intend to add to your worries this way.”

He slowly knelt down before her, fingertips brushing her hips and Elise shivered, not entirely from the cold breeze on her bare legs. There was a deliberate slowness to Vasco’s movements as he reached out to dry her, one hand firmly holding her thigh, his warm breath on her skin making her head spin. 

Memories came rushing to her, his every gasp, his touch, his mouth, now so close to her, only to reach out, bury her hands in his hair, pull him close...

She spoke only to distract herself, silently counting.

“There should not be such a problem, it should only be a few days until...”

Elise paused, almost bursting into laughter at the bizarreness of their conversation - especially given their circumstances.

“...your next bleeding? In that case there should be little risk.”

Try as she did, she could not mask her astonishment as she looked down at him. Vasco met her eyes for a moment, an amused glint in his eyes.

“Men and women of all ages packed in a ship for months at a time means you learn a lot about each other. It can come in handy at times.”

"I can see that," Elise smiled, looking anywhere but into Vasco’s eyes. She was continually annoyed by the fact that while she could stand her ground and stare down almost anyone, she found herself helpless against kindness and such an open honesty of the man kneeling in front of her. Rules of courtly etiquette could hardly help here.

Besides, how on earth would it even be possible to lead any kind of conversation in this state, half naked, a part of her still perfectly willing to repeat previous night?

"I have to confess I am unused to talking about these matters. Most nobles, especially noblewomen, would rather hang themselves than discuss such things."

"Really?" Vasco’s amused voice seemed to resonate through his fingertips, tingling on her skin. "Even, say, with their own husbands?"

"Especially with their own husbands."

He shook his head, disbelief written all over his face as he stood up to face her. She pulled up her trousers, hands still shaking slightly as she fastened the buttons, all too aware that he was watching her every move

“I always thought there was much to envy the lives of nobles. I still think that - but I also can’t help wondering how did currents like these form someone like you.”

He seemed so sincere, the way he said it, his eyes fixed on her face, the same look he wore two nights ago in her cabin.

There were so many unspoken questions hanging in the air above them. What do we do now? What are we to each other? Where do we go from this?

Elise opened her mouth to speak, when the cave brought in something else than the ever present sound of waves breaking on the shore. A groan, a guttural, pained sound, not a sound an animal would make. 

It was too pronounced, too human.

They exchanged a quick look of alarm, all caution thrown to the wind as they rushed out of the cave. Standing at the exit, Elise had to look around the unfamiliar place for a while before she was able to track the sound to its source, towards the beach covered in pale sand and scattered patches of grass.

There, at its very end, leaning against a large rock, lay something resembling a bloody pile of clothing, if not for the bare legs and pale face sticking out of them.

She slowly followed behind Vasco, who was already crouched in front of the gasping figure soaked in scarlet blood, halting to a stop when she recognized the bright head scarf tied around the head.

“Flavia...” her voice died in her throat at the sound of her name.

“Don’t move sailor, you have lost a lot of blood. I’m here, I will help you.”

Vasco reached out to touch the shoulder of the gasping woman, his voice firm, but his eyes wide with fear.

Flavia took a shallow breath, opening her eyes, a weak attempt at a smile flashing across her pale, tears-streaked face.

“Captain...either I’m a goner already or you’re really alive...” she spoke through gritted teeth, in a voice no louder than a whisper.

Vasco took her hand in his, Flavia’s fingers mustering all their strength to hold on to him like a drowning woman, as though she would slip away to the deep the moment she let go. He opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out.

Elise cautiously approached, standing a few feet away from the scene, willing herself not to look at the bloody hole in Flavia’s stomach, the gash so deep and wide she could clearly see the glistening intestines, nor at the pool of deep red staining the sand, not the pallor of her skin, growing ghastly blue around fingers and lips.

She could hear it clearly, as if in someone else’s voice.

_This woman is already gone. There is nothing you can do._

“Yes Flavia, I am alive, and so are you.”

She almost managed a laugh at that, instead coughing up more blood, gasping for breath for a few seconds before responding.

“Apologies for the pessimism Captain, but...I don’t believe I’ll stay that way much longer...” 

He lowered his head at that, closing his eyes. 

“Your...Excellency...”

Elise almost didn’t realize that Flavia was speaking to her - but she was, her head tilted slightly to her right, where Elise was standing, clenching her fists in anger and helplessness. She immediately ran to her, kneeling next to Vasco, tears stinging in her eyes.

“I’m so sorry Flavia. I wish I could help you. I wish we never embarked on this cursed voyage, I...”

“Shh...enough that...the Captain blames himself,” the young Naut said softly between her pained breaths. “Never saw such a creature it...the way it tore our ship apart...like a...like a child’s toy. I thought...I thought everyone left aboard was dead for sure.”

The long sentence exhausted her and she leaned back against the rock, eyes closed, breaths fast and shallow.

A single thought, like a dry twig catching fire lit itself up in Elise’s mind. If Flavia wasn’t on board when the hull broke, it means she was one of the sailors that managed to board the lifeboat. It meant that she saw Kurt and Constantin, that she could know where they are, if they are...

Strange that until seeing Flavia, bloody, slipping away, she always managed to push away the thought of either of them being dead, even when so many died during the battle. It was a perfectly logical possibility - and just as perfectly unacceptable. But to be certain, she had to find a way to get answers out of a woman mere inches away from oblivion. 

A woman with whom she shared many tales over drinks, who was the first of the crew to warm up to her - how could she question her now?

“You made the landfall then? All of you?” Vasco’s voice grew the slightest bit more hopeful.

“We did...well..” she smirked, tilting her head to look towards the ocean. “The waves...did the landing for us. Boat...crashed on rocks...we swam.”

Her left hand crawled through the sand towards the edge of her wound.

“I was alone...did not get far inland...thought...would find natives...help...found a nest of winged creatures instead. Nasty...bastards...cut burning...ugh.”

“I know the ones. One of them thought I’d make an easy dinner when I woke up,” Vasco said, glancing towards his bandaged shoulder. How hard he tried to sound assured, Elise thought, to joke with his fellow Naut as if they were simply two friends, sitting in a tavern, mugs of ale in hand, even as his hands shook. She hated to intrude upon them, but she would never forgive herself if she didn’t at least try.

“Where was it? Where did your boat crash?”

She was surprised when Vasco didn’t react, instead seemed to silently urge Flavia to speak. She must have been attacked by the creatures very recently, not to mention very close by, although she did not say how long did she walk. 

But there was no more strength in her - the young sailor blinked, looking around her wildly, like a rabbit caught in a snare, her breathing speeding up, turning into desperate gasping for air. 

“I...I...” a whisper left her cracked lips and Vasco leaned closer, placing his hands gently on her shoulders. The young woman was sobbing now, short bursts followed by high-pitched sound as her throat tightened in panic, her whole body shaking violently.

“Cap...tain...Can’t...die...here...you know...You must...” she managed to say, desperation written in her every feature.

A silent agreement seemed to flash between the two, as Vasco nodded and carefully put one hand underneath her torso, the other beneath her legs and lifted her up. Flavia opened her mouth in a soundless scream of pain.

“Wait, what are you doing? You cannot move her like this!” Elise shouted, attempting to grab Vasco’s arm and stop him, but he simply turned away from her and slowly walked towards the sea. 

He did not stop when the rolling waves lapped against his ankles, nor when the water soaked his trousers. Only when he was submerged to his chest did he halt, gently lowering Flavia towards the surface, letting the water wash over her but never letting go. From the shore, Elise could not see their expressions, but could swear she felt a strange sigh of relief, as if the wind around her stilled and the world fell silent.

How lonely did Vasco’s figure look holding the young sailor, a dark silhouette against the horizon, where first light of the rising sun turned the shimmering sea copper and gold. 

The thought bid her move before she could reconsider, stepping into the ice cold water, step after step until she shivered from cold. She reached his side, unsure of what to do. Flavia’s face was completely changed - instead of grimace of pain, her face looked peaceful and content, skin white as milk against the curling tattoos around her eyes and chin. 

Maybe she was already gone, and yet they stayed, still as marble statues.

This was a funeral, Elise realized. 

A funeral for a woman who could not abide the thought of dying on dry land. Back home, a priest or a family member would speak an eulogy, recounting the deeds of the deceased, remembering their times together. Somehow, however, none of these seemed fitting now.

“Sometime at eve, when the tide is low; I shall slip my moorings and sail away” Elise heard herself speak over the humming of the sea, eyes fixed forward, willing her voice not to break. 

“With no response to a friendly hail; In the silent hush of the twilight pale. When the night stoops down to embrace the day, and the voices call in the water's flow.”

A brief silence, and Vasco picked up where she stopped, as naturally as if his voice was an extension of hers.

“A few who have watched me sail away, will miss my craft from the busy bay; some friendly barques were anchored near, some loving souls that my heart held dear...” he lowered his head, closing his eyes. “In silent sorrow will drop a tear.” 

The strangest thing – never in the whole time they spent together did she feel their closeness so acutely as she did now. Elise stepped closer, leaning against his shoulder. A smile spread on Flavia’s face, a last, calm breath escaping her lips. 

“But I shall have peacefully furled my sail. In mooring sheltered from the storm and gale...” 

Perhaps she could still hear them.

“And greeted friends who had sailed before; o'er the unknown sea to the unknown shore.”

Vasco finished the verse in a quiet voice.

_Farewell, sailor. Safe harbors,_ Elise thought, watching the dawn break over the three of them, a small, quiet thought coiling and uncoiling somewhere at the corner of her mind, held back as to not spoil the sanctity of this moment.

_I’m coming for you. Just hold on._

Quiet descended upon the two of them, as they wordlessly walked back towards the cave entrance, footprints already washed away by the rising tide, to gather what little supplies they found. Elise absentmindedly traced the hilt of Flavias dagger tucked behind her belt – Vasco found it fallen in the sand a few paces away from the rock she collapsed against and all but forced her to take it.

“I know she would want you to have it,” he said as he placed it in her hand, gently closing her fingers around the hilt.

It was fortunate that despite her preference for magic, Kurt made sure she could handle almost any cold weapon. Still, the thought of fighting a beast armed only with a short blade was not a pleasant one.

But she would do it in instant, if it meant saving her friends and family. 

They smothered the smoking coals and gathered the last pieces of hardtack and the almost empty waterskin. Hopefully, there would be a source of drinkable water somewhere nearby. 

Elise watched Vasco as he moved about, eyes determined, but his movement slow as if he was trapped in a dream. She worried for him more and more, the wound on his shoulder that would not close, the pallor and heat of his skin she felt when he pulled her into tight embrace, as soon as they stepped out from the sea.

But there would be no rest, not today, not when they were so close. Even without Flavia's instructions, the trail of blood could be followed up the cliffs and then, well. They would hope for a miracle. 

As they turned to leave, Elise chanced to glance up, into the dense canopy of trees above the cliffs and for a split second thought she saw eyes watching them.

The ascent was difficult, as the path up was steep. Dark spots of old blood dotted the ground and Elise willed herself not to think of their origin. Above them, rocky cliffs slowly gave way to grasses, flowers and shrubs she had never seen on the continent.

“This must be the place where Flavia was attacked,” Elise mused as they reached a small clearing, where part of the ground was disturbed, dotted by more blood and signs of struggle. No sign of the winged creatures, as far as she could tell.

“Vasco, you said that you were attacked by the same animal. Was it here?”

“No…” he frowned and closed his eyes for a moment. “It was to the south, near a beach. I did not go even this far inland.”

Elise scanned the forest ahead, hoping to catch something, a hint, a clue as to which way to go. 

A flash. The same eyes that followed them before. A movement, quick as an arrow. 

“What is it?” Vasco moved closer to her, looking in the same direction.

“Most likely nothing but…I had a feeling that someone was following us, watching us.”

“It is not that unlikely. Although I suspect we are far too north to meet anyone from the continent. Most likely one of the natives.”

“Well, they already know we are here, we might as well let them know the same,” Elise said, calling out to the distance.

“Hello?”

No response, only the wind howling in the canopy.

“Are you sure this was wise? We cannot know what they intentions are,” Vasco’s voice was doubtful, his eyes darting between her and the forest.

“We have no choice. We cannot fight and they already saw us.”

“We could still hide.”

“Vasco, you need help, as soon as possible!” she almost yelled these words, finally facing him. Surprise flashed across his face.

“De Sardet, I told you…”

“Yes, you stubborn, bull-headed sailor, you keep telling me I shouldn’t be worried when I can see that you are weakening, in pain, that you are running a fever and your wound looks worse by the hour, after what happened to Flavia, how can I not be worried?!” now she was shouting in earnest, not caring who else might have heard her, feeling tears of frustration running down her cheeks.

“Don’t.”

He was with her in a flash, his hands on her waist, pulling her close to rest his forehead against hers.

“I’m sorry.”

A step, another, another, then another. A woman’s voice with a strange, sharp accent, her tone threatening, the sound of blades sliding out of their sheathes.

“Step away from her, renaigse.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This update took a while, mostly because work is hell. By the way, the poem Vasco and Elise recited was "The Unknown Shore" by Elizabeth Clark Hardy.

**Author's Note:**

> Well, this started as just a collection of drabbles that I decided to mash together, to create a longer story. Enjoy!


End file.
